Authors note: Hey everyone! I know it's been super long since I updated, I was really running out of ideas for little things until my next big event. As many of you might know, California has recently started fire season (very early) and for the first time in my life, my city was on fire and the governor called a state of emergency. The national guard was mobilized to my city and I was evacuated, but good news- I was bored and typed this out while waiting to hear if we had homes to go back to. It's been very very stressful but I was somehow able to write more that day than in the last few months. I do not have access to my computer, so I typed and uploaded this from my cell phone so there will be even more grammar mistakes. As soon as I am home, I will put it through my computer and correct it through a few programs. I love you all and if you are religious please pray for the other victims of the Carr Fire or keep us in your thoughts. Many have lost their homes and their everything. Keswick, a town of over 400 people was practically wiped off the map, the fire left only two homes and a cat who hid in a bush. Our police chief and a firefighter who has been fighting the Ferguson fire have both lost their homes. I'm one of the lucky ones to still have a home, but I still feel the pain of our town. We will survive though and hopefully grow stronger. I apologize for this long introduction. Please enjoy and let me know your thoughts.

Chapter 16

"What is it, Alfred?"

January 16, 2017

By the time Mitchell and Charlie had given up, it was dinner time. They both headed towards the pavilion where most of the campers were already eating. They grabbed their plates and walked to their seats. When they passed the Poseidon cabin Percy stopped them both. "Do you guys know where Luke is, I haven't seen him all day and he hasn't come to get dinner?" Charlie and Mitchell looked at each other and grinned a little. "Uh," Mitch said, "he's a little… preoccupied."

Christian who was passing by with his sister overheard and started laughing, "Luke and Bianca sittin in a tree!" His sister elbowed him, but he just shrugged not thinking he had done anything wrong while Percy started choking on his drink in shock. Mitchell started full on laughing as Charlie ran to his dad and patted his back. "Don't worry dad, they aren't doing anything. They probably just argued until they were exhausted and fell asleep. They aren't even dating, only a few of the group is dating, though a few more have crushes they haven't acted on yet." He sat down as Percy stopped choking and Mitchell went to the Apollo cabin.

"Look sis! The love birds came out!" Christian yelled out as Luke turned red. They had woken up just a few minutes ago and were hungry so they decided to go straight to the pavilion without freshening up. Luke's hair was a mess and Bianca had small hairs coming out of her ponytail. Both of their clothes were rumpled and they were walking very close to each other. The other children from the future started laughing as Luke jumped away from Bianca a little and began to open and close his mouth as if trying to come up with a way to deny it, but he wasn't succeeding very well.

Bianca, in turn, was glaring daggers at Christian and any other time he would have been slightly (though he would deny it) intimidated and apologize, but when it comes to this- to them he can't find himself to feel that way. Another emotion overpowers his fear. Finally, Mitchell stood up and grabbed his sister pulling her to the Hades cabin table where she had a plate waiting for her, though he didn't stay as Apollos table was where he had always belonged.

Bianca sat down, summoned some food and started grumbling into it. "I'm gonna kill him one of these days. I'm gonna drag him to my grandfather's palace and let Cerberus play with him." She stabs her food roughly. "No one would know. The last I saw of him, he was playing in the woods. Monster must have gotten him. Poor little as-" "Bianca!" Luke said playfully hitting her in the back of the head as he walked to his table. "There are kids here."

Bianca stuck her tongue out at him and rubbed her head. She turned back to her food. "It's true though." She glanced up and saw Nico looking at her with an unreadable expression before she quickly looked away. He's staring, someone must have told him. Oh well, wouldn't stay hidden forever. Let's see what I can eat. Bianca only ate a few bites of her steak and was about to put a spoonful of potatoes into her mouth when she noticed everyone went silent. She looked up to see them staring behind her when she's felt a tap on her shoulder. "Lady Bianca, I have a message for you." Bianca turned to look at the zombie behind her, bowing in respect. He was an older man when he died and wore a butler's suit. His hands had white gloves over them and he had a pocket watch in his jacket pocket so he looked like the typical old butler you would see on TV. The first time he had shown up Bianca was seven. She had laughed and jokingly said he looks like Alfred Pennyworth. The old man thought it was, amusing and started going by that name instead of his 'living' name (Charles).

"What is it, Alfred?"

The zombie stood up straight and handed her a crisp white envelope. "I have looked into the matter we discussed and believe I have found the answer."

"Thank you, Alfred. I'm sorry for any trouble you went through."

"It was no trouble Lady Bianca." He reached forward with a gentle expression and cup his hand to Bianca's cheek, "I would anything for my favorite charge." Bianca shyly smiled at him before he released her face, stepped back and bowed again. "If that is all my lady, I shall return to Master Hades."

"Of course Alfred, thank you again." Alfred turned and walked away. As he walked away he passed Luke. "Hey, Alfred!"

"Good day Master Lukas."

Luke plopped down in front of Bianca on the bench. "What was ol' Alfie doing here."

"Delivery," she said simply and quickly opened the envelope. She pulled out a white envelope and began reading.

"Okay… mysterious. What's that?"

Bianca finished reading the letter and sighed, " I have to leave for a day or two. Remember that thing we were talking about with aunt Hazel and uncle Frank? Alfred found it, but it's not good." She looked around and realized everyone was staring at them. "Never seen a zombie before?"

Luke chuckled before everyone went back to their food. "Group meeting for the council?"

"Yeah. Hades cabin 10 minutes."

Bianca stood and walked to where her brother sat at the Apollo table. "Council meeting 10 minutes," she whispered in his ear. She handed him the note from Alfred before walking away to the Hades cabin. Gods why does it have to be there. Who on the council can I take? Sally is too young and more of a strategist than a fighter. Mitchell is needed here as a healer and Lukas as a leader and fighter. Maybe Charlie? Bianca looks up and the Hades cabin comes into view. No. Charlie isn't strong enough mentally. I can't risk it. Lily doesn't like dark places.

She enters the empty cabin and lays on her bed. So the council is out. Kai hates blood so he hates being in a position where he will see injuries and Emmi, as cute as she is, cannot fight at all. Clarissa will still be shaken up from yesterday and Chris won't leave her. Selina hates fighting and getting dirty. Chloe flat out hates my guts. Maybe I can ask Luna? I'll ask the council when they get here. Who is strong enough, but not needed here? Maybe I should just ask Alfred to go with me. She smiles thinking of how well that would work. It's been 10 years since I first saw him. I was hiding in my bedroom terrified I would hurt someone with my powers.

"Daddy please help me. I'm scared." Little six-year-old Bianca whispers under her bed. "Please come back to me dad," she begins weeping as she squeezes the stuffed Cerberus dog to her chest. "I'm sorry daddy. I'm sorry." A knock sounds at her door and Bianca stuffs her face into the dog trying to quiet it down.

"Bianca?" A voice calls through the door. "May I come in?" The voice waits a few moments before sighing. "Bia, I'm coming in."

"No!" She cries out, "I don't want to hurt you!" She pulls her bear even tighter to you. "Please don't," she whimpers.

"Bianca I am a god, you cannot harm me."

"No. Please, no grandpa."

She hears him sigh again before another voice whispers, "Hades, leave her be. She's scared, allow her to calm down."

"It has been four days Persephone, she must be getting hungry."

"I know, but there's nothing we can do right now. If we continue pushing she may try to leave and something bad could happen."

There is a silence for a few moments with only Bianca's sobbing breaking the silence.

"Maybe there is," Hades says determinedly before two sets of footsteps are heard walking away.

The next day

Bianca doesn't know when she fell asleep, but she awoke to her bedroom door opening and a voice she doesn't recognize calling out. "Lady Bianca, I have something for you to eat. Master Hades said you might enjoy a traditional Italian meal, so I tried to prepare one as best I could."

Bianca slowly blinks her eyes before realizing that someone is in the room with her. She starts screeching, she crawls out from under her bed and tries to run out the door when a strong hand grips her arm stopping her. "Lady Bianca, there is no need to panic."

"No!" Bianca yells trying to yank her arm from the tight grip, "I'll hurt you!"

"Calm down lady Bianca. You can not hurt or kill me." She continues struggling until he finally gives up sighing. He grabs both wrists (with much trouble) and spins her so her back faces him. He pins both arms across her chest and holds her against him. "Lady Bianca please calm down. You can not hurt me because I am already dead."

Bianca stops struggling and turns a tear-stained face to him. "What?" She asks in a small voice, her voice hoarse from days of crying.

"I died many years ago lady Bianca. As I said before, I cannot be hurt or killed. Even if I am harmed, Master Hades can take my soul and put it in another form. I am- no, you are safe." He slowly released her arms and she turns around to wrap her arms around him. She begins sobbing into his shoulder. "It's okay lady Bianca. You are safe." He continues soothing her with loving words while patting her head and rubbing her back. Once again, she does not know when she falls asleep exhausted from crying once more.

Smell. That was the first sense she regained as she became conscious. It smelled of pasticcio ai funghi, but different from how Nico had made it. It smells like dad (Will) tried to make dinner. She smiles as she remembers the first time he tried to make an older Italian dish and she got to meet the fire department. She opens her eyes expecting the baby blue of her bedroom, but instead, she is met with dark walls and red curtains. Why am I here? As her memories of her parents' deaths fill her mind she feels her eyes beginning to water. Daddy…

"Good evening lady Bianca, are you feeling any better?" She turns to where a man is sitting in a chair by her bed. "My name is Charles." Bianca slowly sits up wiping the tears from her eyes. "Charles? I thought your name was Alfred." She says with a slight smile.

Charles looks at her confused, "No my name is Charles. Why did you believe it was Alfred." Now Bianca giggles a little as she watches for a few moments as his face is one of immense confusion.

"Alfred is the helper of a really cool superhero named Batman."

At this Charles smiles, "Is this Alfred 'cool' as well?"

Bianca nods her head and begins to talk about everything she knew about the super cool superhero and the awesome 'helper' Alfred. She only took a break when Charles insisted on her taking a drink of water or a bite of her food (which tasted pretty bad since Charles had very little knowledge of Italian foods, but she loved it all the same). For hours she talked about Batman and her other favorite superheros. She talked about her favorite movies, choking up when she spoke of her and her fathers disney movies marathons, she spoke of her favorite books and her school. Never once did Charles interrupt her or ask her to stop, he only listened with interest asking questions when appropriate to keep the conversation going. At last, she began yawning and tiredly rubbing her eyes.

"I think that is enough for today lady Bianca, time for bed."

"Will you stay with me? Please?" She looks up at him pleadingly. He smiles softly and takes her hand in his. I will be here when you wake. Sleep now."

She closes her eyes and as she is drifting off she whispers, "Goodnight Alfred."

She hears Charles chuckle softly before she falls asleep completely, not realizing she called him the wrong name.

She is pulled out of her memories by the door to her cabin slamming open, causing her to jump and hit her head on the bunk above her. "Ow! Son of a-"

"Bianca!"

"Sorry Charlie. Know you hate the cursing."

She rubbed her head as everyone filed in one by one and took a seat on the floor by her bed. Luke, Charlie, Sally, Lily, and Mitchell.

Everyone be sat silently for a few moments before Charlie spoke up, "Why did you call the council meeting Bia?"

Mitchell and Bianca looked to each other for a moment, sharing a silent conversation before Mitchell turned to Charlie. "Before the mission to come back in time, Luke, Bianca, aunt Hazel, uncle Frank and I discussed how to best end this war as fast as possible. We came up with killing the demigod who started all this before her past could contact Kronos. Since we don't know where she is, we also thought about stopping opportunities they had. We must talk with Chiron and Renya about this as it puts their campers in danger, but we plan to send small groups of campers and one future child to suspected enemy strongholds."

Bianca chimes in at this. "Mitchell and I managed to wipe out a few strongholds before he had to come back to camp. This is dangerous, but will keep them from being able to grow their numbers as well as possibly get on if the few in charge or the same one. The last step is… more dangerous, but even more important. We need to stop them from getting the stone of Pneuma."

Mitchell spoke up, "Alfred has been looking into where the stone could be for the last week. He has a lead, but… it's not good."

"Where is it?"

Mitchell looks to Luke grimly.

Thank you all, and as always, please review! I am also still looking for either a proofreader or an idea person (to bounce ideas back and forth) or even someone who can do both.

I want to give a special thanks to all those who have reviewed especially divergent demigod 1234. When writing this latest chapter I went back through and reread your reviews and private messages.

To divergent demigod 1234, I definitely will put more Bianca/Nico interactions especially since they both stay in the Hades cabin together. I very much appreciate the thoughts, suggestions and ideas.